The Red Scare Essay - 1005 Words

In the long years between 1947 and around 1957, fear of communism froze the very voices of America into unison. A supposedly enlightened country, the United States of America succumbed to the mass hysteria of the Red Scare with shockingly little resistance. Communist â€Å"Reds† and Communist sympathizing â€Å"Pinks† were seen everywhere and were often persecuted by the House Committee on Un-American Activities (also known by the inaccurate acronym HUAC). Many of these individuals’ only crime was that of sensibility; they saw the truth behind the terrifying chaos. One of the best records of this dark chapter in America’s history is its literature, which expressed opinion when it could be dangerous to do so. The American public’s paranoid fear of†¦show more content†¦So states Prometheus after his discovery of singular pronouns in a world where only the plural forms are permitted, under the threat of execution. The parallel between Rand’s hive-minded society and the fear of communism in America is abundantly clear. Most American’s saw communism as an all-consuming force, slowly but surely winding its way into their politics and ultimately, their homes (Zeinert 67). There was a fear that America would become a Communist society like the one in Anthem, an unhappy, oppressed people deluded into preserving their way of life for fear of change and the responsibility of freedom. The idea that Communist’s are everywhere is a pervading theme throughout the cold war and red scare and a continuing trend in the literature of the time. Not all works were so openly anti-communist however, just as not all individuals believed that communism was the threat it was made out to be. When Senator Joe McCarthy came into power in the 1950’s he brought fear into the hearts of American citizens, fear of Communists, and fear that they would be accused of associating with Communists. â₠¬Å"McCarthy attacked individuals and organizations without proof. If someone rose to defend these victims, he lashed out at the defenders, accusing them of being Communists, pinks, or punks†¦His methods were given a name: McCarthyism† (Zeinert 69).Show MoreRelatedThe Red Scare Essay examples1067 Words   |  5 PagesFirst and Second Red Scare of the United States paved the way for a long standing fear of communism and proved to be one of America’s largest periods of mass hysteria. Throughout the years authors and analysts have studied and formed expository albeit argumentative books and articles in an attempt to further understand this period of time; the mindset held during this period however is shown to be completely different compared to now. Major and still important was the First Red Scare stemming fromRead MoreThe Red Scare and McCarthyism Essays1295 Words   |  6 PagesThe Red Scare and McCarthyism had begun Paranoia, disloyalty, people losing jobs. The Red Scare and McCarthyism both made everything else worse. Communism is a political theory derived from Karl Marx, advocating class war and leading to a society in which all property is publicly owned and each person works and is paid according to their abilities and needs. At the end of the month when they get their paychecks they both end up with the same amount of money it is not fair, right? but that is moreRead MoreEssay on Joseph McCarthy and the Red Scare1134 Words   |  5 Pages1950s-everyone was afraid of the â€Å"reds†, or communists. The cold war had a large affect on this, because it is when America became afraid of communists or Russians. McCarthyism affected everyone in America Most citizens were afraid of the reds, some were former or curre nt reds, some were accused and persecuted for being an assumed red. It’s clear that McCarthyism played a big role in the development of America. McCarthyism became a household term, not only associated with the red scare. It is now a term usedRead MoreThe Second Red Scare During The Cold War With The Soviet Union1094 Words   |  5 PagesThe Second Red Scare started in the opening phases of the Cold War with the Soviet Union. The Second Red Scare refers to the anti-communist passion that affected American politics, culture and society in the 1940s and 1950s. Interpretations of the Second Red Scare have ranged between two poles: one emphasizing the threat posed to national security by the Communist Party, and the other emphasizing the threat to democracy posed by political repression. Americans historically have been fearful of â€Å"enemiesRead MoreThe Red Scare of McCarthyism 576 Words   |  2 PagesRed Scare: McCarthyism â€Å"No one man can terrorize a whole nation unless we are all his accomplices.† -Edward R. Murrow (Goodreads.com) The Red Scare, also known as, McCarthyism started in the early 1950’s. It got the name McCarthyism from Senator Joseph Raymond McCarthy. McCarthy started The Red Scare. It was very similar to a witch hunt but, it wasn’t witches they were hunting for. They were searching for communist. The Red Scare was a horrible and cruel period during the early 1900’s. DuringRead MoreHUAC and the Red Scare1098 Words   |  5 Pageswas blacklisted, he moved to Mexico to write multiple books about Marxists views and interpretations about the motion picture industry. Later in life, he would return to America and teach at multiple universities across the country. The Second Red Scare of the late 1940s and early 1950s was a very embarrassing time in our nation’s history. The subpoenaed witnesses were right when they said that the HUAC was infringing on their basic civil rights. But it was also wrong for the witnesses to have beenRead MoreThe System Of The Red Scare978 Words   |  4 Pagesand already developed nation goes through its ups and downs within its political, social, and economic atmosphere. An infamous example could be during Hitler’s reign in Germany, another example could be during the early 1900s into the time of the Red Scare where only the à ©lite few lived well off while the rest of the population did not compare as well. During this time in the United States, an idea known as â€Å"the system† came about. â€Å"The system† is infamously known to affect many lives such as AnneRead MoreMccarthyism And The Red Scare1416 Words   |  6 Pagessimply carrying on with their lives, at a time where the war was expanding, not only across Asia, but across American classrooms and schools. In 1970, the Vietnam War (although never officially a war) was in its last five years. McCarthyism and the Red Scare, which had reached its peak in the 1950s, had left its mark on the American public and government, with a fear of communism and its potential proliferation across the world. With this in mind, the growing Vietnamese interest in a communist governmentRead MoreMccarthyism And The Salem Witch Trials1360 Words   |  6 Pagesextreme fear in order to send people they don’t like to jail or to death. Though wrong, it was used many times throughout history. I intend to explain how McCarthyism is comparable to what happened in the Salem Witch Trials, how it was used in The Red Scare, and the effects of it on the people accused. McCarthyism is very similar to what happened during the Salem Witch Trials. The Witch Trials were during a time in early American history when people were very superstitious and religious. During theRead MoreThe Murder And Robbery Of A Shoe Factory1112 Words   |  5 PagesIn 1920, during the height of the Red Scare, a shoemaker, Nicola Sacco (1891-1927), and a fish peddler, Bartolomeo Vanzetti (1888-1927), were accused of robbing and murdering the paymaster and guard of a shoe company in South Braintree, Massachusetts. Known as anarchists and draft evaders, the accused men faced a hostile judge and a public convinced of their guilt. Despite Sacco s corroborated testimony that he was at the Italian consulate in Boston at the time of the murder, the two were found